Women in Design (WiD)

Women in Design is a community of women involved in architecture and the design professions who have come together for mentorship, support and advocacy for women in design. We provide opportunities for working with the community to educate, enhance, explore and celebrate the historic and present contributions of women in our professions through community outreach, mentorship, programs and research.

Meet the Co-Chairs

As Women in Design celebrates over a decade of successful programming, mentorship, and advocacy for women in design; we are very excited to take laeadership of this dedicated group of professionals. As a team, we are eager to guide WiD through quality programming, continuing to elevate the work we do as design professional in our local community, as well as gaining broader outreach to the national conversation on diversity and equity in architecture.

Laura Beth Chochran is an architect at DLR Group in Overland Park, KS and Co-chair of AIA Kansas City's Women in Design Committee. As a contributing author to the 2015 AIA Kansas City Women in Design journal Rise, graduate of the 2017 Pillars Leadership Program, and recent participant at the 2017 National quinquennial Practice Innovation Lab (as one of 60 emerging professionals from around the country), Laura Beth is an active and passionate advocate for redefining the practice of architectutre and improving diversity and inclusion in the profession. Laura Beth is active in her comunity as a member of AIA Kansas City, the Northland Civic Symphony, and the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild.

Jessica Symons has been with TreanorHL in Kansas City for three years now and has found so much passion in her involvement with the firm. She is excited to serve as a Co-chair of AIA Kansas City's Women in Design Committee this year! In 2012 she co-founded Women in Design K-State and has been in love with the program ever since. She has been an active participant in the USGBC Emerging Professionals, the planning board for Girl Scouts Cookie Construction, Equity in Architecture, CREW KC, and many more organizations. She recently traveled to Peru to oversee the construction and implementation of housing for medical volunteers to serve the impoverished communities along the Amazon River in Peru. In 2017 she won the AIA Kansas City Community Volunteer of the Year Award, and loves so much to give back. Jessica is active in her community as a member of AIA Kansas City and through her commitment to her church participation.

Women's 2018 Leadership Series

The first presenter of the 2018 Women's Leadership Series is Mariah Meyer, with BRR Architecture.

Mariah is a Vice President and Principal at BRR Architecture, and leads the firm’s hospitality and fuel station project teams. Throughout her professional career, she has worked on multiple project types in hospitality, retail, entertainment, commercial interiors and education markets. Her experience managing complex projects has been influential to the growth of BRR’s service offerings in our core markets.